If anyone was hoping to get in some surfing Tuesday afternoon in Huntington Beach after watching the Oilers take on Los Alamitos in a big Sunset League baseball game, Ethan Porter did them a big favor.
Porter hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth inning to finalize a 3-2 Huntington Beach victory.
The sun had come out, the clouds disappeared and Huntington Beach was being Huntington Beach, improving to 16-2 overall and 8-0 in league play. There was nothing easy about it.
Los Alamitos (15-5-2, 8-4) held a 2-0 lead going into the sixth inning behind left-hander Tristan Dalzell. The Oilers got a run back on a walk and RBI double by Porter. With two outs and a runner on third, Jared Grindlinger hit a line drive off the thigh of relief pitcher Logan Anderson to tie the score.
But the game’s most important play came in the third inning. Los Alamitos had started to whack the ball against Otto Espinoza. Devin Porch had an RBI double and Tyler Smith had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Then Wyatt Joyce hit a long fly ball to right field. That’s when Matt Haidl made a running catch that turned into a double play, ending the inning.
Jared Grindlinger gets emotional after tying the score 2-2 for Huntington Beach in the sixth inning.
(Nick Koza)
“He’s made those catches all year,” coach Benji Medure said. “He’s tremendous defensively.”
Said Haidl: “The ball kind of floated. I had to lay out. I’ve always played outfield my whole life. It’s second nature.”
Corona 10, Corona Santiago 1: Billy Carlson had a home run, two singles and four RBIs for the Panthers. Joshua Sur had two doubles and Tyler Ebel added three RBIs.
Arcadia 5, Burbank 0: Gus Cooper gave up one hit and struck out nine in the Pacific League win.
St. John Bosco 4, Servite 1: The Braves stayed atop the Trinity League standings. Trevor Heishman and Jack Champlin combined on a two-hitter. Jaden Jackson and Noah Everly each had two hits.
Orange Lutheran 3, Santa Margarita 0: Colt Peterson struck out four, walked one and threw a two-hit shutout.
Softball
Orange Lutheran 7, Mater Dei 0: Kai Minor contributed two hits and three RBIs and Rylee Silva struck out seven in a complete game.